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Niko Brosca
Niko Brosca is a Grey Warden of Ferelden who was instrumental in stopping the Fifth Blight. She was born in the slums of Orzammar as a casteless dwarf. She lived with her mother, Kalah, and her older half-sister, Rica. She was bound to the services of the Carta crime lord, Beraht, until circumstances allowed her to participate in a Proving, disguised as a Warrior Caste fighter. Upon discovery, the Warden-Commander of Ferelden, Duncan, decided to recruit her, impressed by her fighting, courage, and quick thinking. Niko then traveled across the land and called upon the factions that had signed treaties with the Grey Wardens to stop the risen Archdemon. Overview Physical Appearance Niko is of average height and is somewhat curvaceous by dwarven standards. She has dirty blonde hair that reaches below her shoulders when down. She often keeps it up in a simple, practical bun. Her eyes are light brown. She has a fairly angular face, with a sharp chin, severe cheekbones, and a high brow. Her skin tone is very fair. She has many faint scars all over her arms, legs, back and neck before the main events of Dragon Age: Origins as a result of her work for the Carta. She has the casteless "brand" on her right cheek. Personality Niko is quiet and pragmatic. She holds others at arms' length until she gets to know them, and only then does her dry, witty sense of humor come through. Despite her unsavory line of work, she does not relish hurting or killing others, unless they are evil and cruel. She is a shrewd judge of character and adaptable in a crisis as well as combat. However, she also lets her emotions get the better of her, especially when she thinks that ordinary people are the pawns of the powerful and the corrupt. She is also cynical and tends to expect the worst of people, given her treatment from others during her life in Orzammar as a casteless Carta member. Talents and Skills Niko is a skilled dual-wielding rogue who specializes in stealth attacks, and is also adept at archery. She has a fondness for using shock bombs and fire flasks to devastate many enemies at once. Given the option, however, she tries to talk her way out of a confrontation. She is an expert pickpocket, and a novice in poison making and herbalism prior to her travels across Ferelden. She is somewhat skilled at trap making. She can read and write in Common, and can speak a smattering of dwarva. Biography History Niko grew up with her mother, Kalah, and her older half-sister, Rica, in the Orzammar slum of Dust Town. Niko's relationship with Kalah was tense and confrontational, but she got along famously with her sister, of whom she is fond and protective. Knowing that her options were limited to becoming a noble hunter or a dangerous thug, Niko cultivated a fearsome reputation to protect her family. However, when the more seasoned Carta members that lived near her home harassed and goaded Rica, she cemented her reputation by committing her first kill. Beraht, the Carta crime lord, threatened her family if Niko didn't find some way to "pay for the damages" she had caused. Thus, she became a member of the Carta and met Leske, and the two became fast friends. Rica was also groomed by Beraht as a noble hunter, and kept Niko indebted to him by forcing her to pay for Rica's expensive new wardrobe and reading and music lessons. During a routine set of errands she was expected to run for Beraht with Leske in tow, Niko had the opportunity to speak with Ferelden's Commander of the Grey, Duncan, and fight in the Proving held in the Grey Wardens' honour. Upon discovery and capture by Jarvia, Niko's only concern was escaping and ensuring that Rica was safe. When the city guard cornered her, she gladly accepted Duncan's offer to join the Grey Wardens after Rica and Leske convinced her to leave, or face execution. In-game Niko questioned Duncan about the surface constantly on their journey to Ostagar. Upon meeting Ferelden's king, Cailan Theirin, she was concerned about his bravado and bluster, and wondered if the battle would be as successful as he said it would be. She quickly met Alistair, briefly spoke to Wynne, and gathered the necessary vials of darkspawn blood and recovered the Grey Warden treaties from Flemeth, a Witch of the Wilds, and Morrigan, her mysterious daughter. It was in camp that she also spoke briefly with Loghain Mac Tir, Teyrn of Gwaren and the Hero of River Dane. She also gathered the flower necessary to save the life of the mabari the kennel master was tending. After being the only recruit to survive the Joining, Niko joined Duncan and the king to discuss the battle plan. In preparation for the battle, Niko was concerned they would all perish against the might of the darkspawn horde, but was determined to see her job through to the bitter end. After clearing out the Tower of Ishal and lighting the beacon, she was attacked, and lost consciousness. When she awoke, she was being tended to by Morrigan, and informed that the battle had been lost. She reconvened with Alistair, and they discussed their next steps. With Morrigan joining them, they set out for Lothering, and found the dog - who Niko named Fang - along the way. Upon reaching Lothering, the party re-stocked their supplies, and Niko invited Leliana, a Chantry lay-sister, to join them after her impressive display in defending them against Loghain's men. She also recruited Sten after convincing the Revered Mother to release him into her custody. They saved Bodahn Feddic and his son, Sandal, from darkspawn as they left the village. When they first set up camp and Niko fell asleep, she experienced her first-ever nightmare, glimpsing the Archdemon. She was terrified, and had difficulty sleeping for months after for fear that she would experience dreams again. They decided to venture to the Circle of Magi first to secure the mages' support to stop the Blight. The party soon learned of the chaos caused by the senior enchanter, Uldred, and that the Templars had called for the Right of Annulment. Niko was ambivalent and somewhat wary of magic, but vowed to find First Enchanter Irving and gain his support, given that the mages, and not the Templars, were the ones that the Grey Wardens had signed a treaty with. Niko met Wynne again, and helped her clear the tower of abominations. When Wynne asked Irving to grant her leave to travel with Niko, she was somewhat hesitant to bring another mage along, since she was uncertain of what to make of Morrigan. But since any support was desperately needed, Niko relented. Shortly after, she traveled to the village of Honnleath and rescued Mattias and Amalia from the clutches of "Kitty", allowing her to receive the command phrase to activate and recruit the golem, Shale. She also assisted Levi Dryden learn about his family's past and regain access to the Grey Warden fortess, Vigil's Keep. She allowed Avernus to live and continue his research, on the condition that he proceed in an ethical manner. In the months that followed, she also returned to Ostagar with Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana to retrieve Cailan's secret documents, find his arms and armor, and send his body off. On their way to Denerim, they were ambushed by the deadly Antivan Crows. Niko decided to question the elven leader. Thus Zevran Arainai joined the party. After restocking and finding work in Denerim, they traveled to Redcliffe in the hopes of seeking an audience with Arl Eamon Guerrin and gain his support and military might. However, they discover the village in disarray, harried by attacks from walking corpses night after night. Niko helps to save the village without a single other casualty. Bann Teagan Guerrin enters the castle with Lady Isolde in order to protect her son, Connor. Niko and her party fought their way inside, and were confronted with Connor, who seemed to be partially possessed by a demon. Deciding to risk the journey, Niko travelled to the Circle of Magi to request help from Irving. They returned, and Wynne was sent into the Fade to confront and force the demon out of Connor. She was successful, and Connor returned to his normal self. However, Eamon was still sick and unconscious, requiring a miracle to recover - the Urn of Sacred Ashes. On their way to Denerim to seek out Brother Genitivi to learn more about the Urn, they passed by the Brecilian Forest and scouted for Dalish clans. They encountered Zathrian's clan in the midst of werewolf attacks. Niko decided to aid them in exchange for their support to stop the Blight. She sought out Witherfang in the forest, but decided to speak with the strange and mysterious Lady of the Forest. When she learned of how generations of people had been punished for the crimes of those who were long since dead, she felt sympathy for their plight. She convinced Zathrian to listen to their pleas, and after a fierce battle, convinced him to break the curse. With Lanaya now the Keeper, she promised Niko support against the Blight, and sent out messengers to contact and gather other clans. After another stop-over in Denerim and finding "Weylon" at Brother Genitivi's home, they headed for the village of Haven to find the Urn. They were ambushed by the cultists who lived there, and carved a path through them to reach the summit of the mountain. Niko was fearful of the Gauntlet, mainly because she was convinced that the "tests of faith" were in point of fact magical deceptions and not divine in the least. Still, she collected a pinch of the Ashes, and used it to revive Arl Eamon. Finally, it was time to return to Orzammar and request the king's support. But Niko returned to a city in chaos, with a dead king and a succession conflict that left even the Diamond Quarter in chaos. Upon reuniting with Rica and learning that she was a concubine of House Aeducan, Niko never even considered speaking to Harrowmont. She gladly got revenge against Jarvia and was shocked and hurt by Leske's betrayal. When she sought out the Paragon Branka, she was intercepted by a drunken Warrior Caste man by the name of Oghren. Niko was extremely reluctant to let him accompany her, given her disdain for drunks and her fear of someone who, before her recruitment, might very well have killed her for sport and gotten away with it. Still, she needed to know where Branka had gone, and Oghren was her best chance of finding her. So they set off, and discovered the truth behind the creation of golems. Niko refused to preserve such a cruel piece of her people's history, and Branka was killed in the ensuing conflict. She returned with a crown forged by Paragon Caridin and crowned Prince Bhelen Aeducan as the next king of Orzammar, securing his promise to send his troops. Finally, the Landsmeet was called. Niko gathered information to use against Loghain, and helped many nobles and asked them for their support. She also found and freed fellow Grey Warden Riordan. The Landsmeet almost unanimously supported the Wardens, and Niko requested Alistair fight Loghain in single combat. Loghain was slaughtered, and Anora was named the sole ruler of Ferelden, much to Alistair's relief. The army then marched for Redcliffe. When Riordan informed them all that the Archdemon was headed for Denerim, they all prepared for the forced march come dawn. It was then that she and Alistair were also told that, in order for the Archdemon to be slain, a Grey Warden would have to die, regardless of the battle's outcome. Before she could retire for the night, however, Niko found Morrigan waiting for her in her room. Niko listened to Morrigan's proposal: to ask Alistair to perform a ritual with her to ensure that no Grey Wardens would die, and that she would conceive a child. Still ambivalent about magic and disgusted at the thought of forcing Alistair to lie with someone he disliked, Niko refused to speak to him. Morrigan left that very night. Niko took Alistair, Wynne, and Fang with her into Denerim and toward the top of Fort Drakon to force a final confrontation with the Archdemon. After a long and arduous battle where they were barely left standing, Alistair valiantly delivered the killing blow, dying in the process. In the celebrations that followed, Niko decided to return home to visit Rica for a time, and to bid her companions farewell. She deeply regretted not considering Morrigan's proposition, and wondered for years after the fact if she could have saved Alistair's life. Niko's family was risen up to Warrior Caste, and after months of deliberation, Orzammar's Assembly unanimously declared Niko a Paragon. A new house was founded in her name, and it quickly became the largest house in Orzammar, as it attracted many casteless. Post-game Relationships Alistair: Morrigan: Leliana: Zevran: Wynne: Sten: Shale: Oghren: Dog: ''' '''Titles Gallery paranormal.png|Sample Photo